History Being Made

[mojo13]

The donation of the bronze bust of Charles E. Taylor to the AA MCI Overhaul Base yesterday was a GREAT event. I would like to give a huge thank you to Dick Hankins, who is an inspector in MCI and a C.E.T. Master Mechanic Award recipient himself, for helping make the MCI event such a wonderful event. Mr. Hankins is truely the epitome of a professional AMT.

Dick Hankins was instrumental in having Local 530 make a donation of $1000.00 to kick off the campaign to raise the money for the MCI bust. The TWU Int. ATD donated the difference.

A MD 80 was used as a back drop in the hangar where a platform with a raised platform next to it. Next to this platform was a "Wall of Honor" where the six award recipients had their photos placed on. The previous C.E.T. Master Mechanic Award recipients will have their photos placed on this "Wall of Honor" also. In front of this wall was the bronze bust of Charles E. Taylor on a very nice wooden base. This wall and bust were covered and after the awards were presented by the FAA the veils were pulled off the wall by the six new recipients and the bust was unveiled by Jim Little, Gordon Clark and myself.

This "Wall of Honor" and bronze bust will be located in the MCI Hangar lobby where potential customers of AA's overhaul facility will see these skilled men. Having on display a "Wall of Honor" and Mr. Taylor's bust will show all who enter the MCI overhaul base the appreciation & respect that AA has for the skilled work force there. I would like to thank Local 530 President Gordon Clark and all the Local 530 Officers for their hospitality. I would also like to thank all the MCI AMTs for showing what being a skilled, professional AMT is all about. Photos from the event will be posted on the AMTA web site shortly.

The names of the recipients were:
Donald E. Smith
David R. Hammond
Jack I. Morris
Paul A. Stuber
Ralph E. Vossler
James C. Steinbrink

We were proud to have you Ken. It was a great event and the bust is now proudly on display in our lobby. Keep up the good work bringing recognition back to our profession. You are making a difference!

 

[MCI transplant]

Hate to rain on your parade, pal, but Charles Taylor was a machinist also.

You know - the parasites that are lumped in with the aircraft mechanics? You know - one of the people who make the parts aircraft mechanics pound rivets into, without which there would be no airplanes.

Can you explain to me why a machinist is honored as 'the father of aircraft maintenance" when there seems to be so many of you special souls around?

Come on back with your smart-assed remarks. I'll be here for a while.

<_< --- Goose. Oh, I don't have anything but respect for the gentlemen! Machinists are vary highly skilled people! But in today's Airline Industry, AMT's they are not!----In the same since that a machinist, I am not! Unless the man holds his A&P tickets. If this is the case, I do apologize! And yes! I realize Charles Taylor didn't hold them either! -----

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

A few photos from the MCI bust doonation have been added to the AMTA web site. I am waiting for pictures of the award recipients to add along with their bios. (Which I have already.)

Remembering the contributions of those who came before us will prepare us to better our craft for the future.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

The AMTA web site, WWW.AMTAUSA.COM, has been updated to show the recent May 24, 2007 AMT Day celebrations that took place last month. If you know of any business that celebrated their AMTs and they would like to have pictures highlighted on the "AMT Day 2007 Celebration" link please let me know. The more companies that celebrate this day the more recognition today's AMTs will receive.
The latest bronze bust of Charles E. Taylor has been added to the bust location page as well. The next bust donation will be June 16, 2007 at Wright State University. With several to follow after that. Having these bronze busts placed across the country at various locations within the aerospace community will enhance the perception of today's AMTs and the responsibilities and training needed to provide safe, airworthy aircraft.
The U.S. National AMT Day Resolution continues to receive support by Congressmen who are co-sponsoring HRES 444. Please visit the AMTA web site and click on the link so you can lend your voice by having your Congressman become a co-sponsor too. HRES 444 is recognizing ALL AMTs across the aircraft maintenance community. After 103 years of being the "Faces Behind Safety" the AMTA feels it is time that these skilled men and women are given the well earned appreciation of a nation that depends on their talents. As always, thank you for your support! Sincerely, Kenneth MacTiernan Director AMTA

 

[eolesen]

Funny how nobody noticed that Arpey's opening piece to American Way is dedicated to AMT's this month...

 

[The Goose]

Funny how nobody noticed that Arpey's opening piece to American Way is dedicated to AMT's this month...

Most of us aren't interested in lip service and take offense to being thrown scraps.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

Funny how nobody noticed that Arpey's opening piece to American Way is dedicated to AMT's this month...

I have been working with AA in having them place an article/ad in American Way about our AMTs. The May issue was already ready for print so his letter was put in the June issue.

As Goose points out, he feels this is lip service. Perhaps... but to publicaly speak out to promote AA's skilled AMT work force is a start. When negotiating for wages and benefits it is what you bring to the table that enables you to achieve what you want. Being professional and skilled helps. having the company acknowledge that fact helps even more.

By the way, Southwest Airlines took out a full page ad in their on board magazine, SPIRIT, in May thanking their AMTs.

 

[FWAAA]

Most of us aren't interested in lip service and take offense to being thrown scraps.

Excellent.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

These free drinks suck. And they aren't very large.

Ya know, if, on top of massive paycuts, AA had trimmed its maintenance ranks as much as other bankrupt airlines did (like UA, US, DL, etc) or replaced them all with scabs (NW), I could maybe understand the animosity.

 

[767 mechanic]

Excellent.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

These free drinks suck. And they aren't very large.

Ya know, if, on top of massive paycuts, AA had trimmed its maintenance ranks as much as other bankrupt airlines did (like UA, US, DL, etc) or replaced them all with scabs (NW), I could maybe understand the animosity.

First of all you company kiss a$$,we did take massive paycuts. Along with benifits that management did not take. Although management will say that they did. When you call them on their bluff and ask them to show you their paychecks since 2003 they start crawfishing and say that they can't do that. Personally if I wanted to put somebody in their place I would show them the evidence and shut them up. Obviously they have somthing to hide. Which is the fact that their was never any shared sacrifice. As far as trimming the rank and file,there are plenty of people still on the street maybe not as many as the bankrupt airlines,but that is why we took pay and benefit cuts. If their would have been shared sacrifice the rank and file would be recalled before the management personel started filling their pockets with blood money. AFTER ALL MANAGEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE SO I AM FOLLOWING THEIR LEAD. I WANT EVERYTHING BACK THAT I GAVE UP PLUS SOME. SO DON'T EVER CALL ME GREEDY.

 

[Boomer]

Excellent.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

These free drinks suck. And they aren't very large.

Ya know, if, on top of massive paycuts, AA had trimmed its maintenance ranks as much as other bankrupt airlines did (like UA, US, DL, etc) or replaced them all with scabs (NW), I could maybe understand the animosity.

Excuse me Sir!,,,,,,,,,,,, Can I have some more?

Pi$$ Off Tie Boy- every dime we cost is required to be compensated by additional job losses and concessions.

So, just sit your fat a$$ in one of the comfy new chairs, enjoy the free drink and the ride paid for by the food from my family's table; oh, and thanks for flying AA.

 

[Bob Owens]

Ya know, if, on top of massive paycuts, AA had trimmed its maintenance ranks as much as other bankrupt airlines did (like UA, US, DL, etc) or replaced them all with scabs (NW), I could maybe understand the animosity.

Well AA didnt go BK, they only threatened to, however SWA didnt cut anybodys pay.

By the way AA has trimmed thousands off its maintenance ranks. They trimmed more than they said they would if they went BK and implimented "The Vermont Plan".

 

[eolesen]

Pi$$ Off Tie Boy- every dime we cost is required to be compensated by additional job losses and concessions.

So, just sit your fat a$$ in one of the comfy new chairs, enjoy the free drink and the ride paid for by the food from my family's table; oh, and thanks for flying AA.

Nice professional response. Piss on enough customers, and you'll eventually have none.

Thanks for reinforcing my decision to fly AA as little as possible, Boomer. Neither you or Garton deserve my money anymore. So my $8000 full J ticket just went into Iberia's pockets. Their service isn't as good as AA's, but at least when the flight attendants are bitching in Spanish, I don't have to be distracted by it.

 

[FWAAA]

First of all you company kiss a$$,we did take massive paycuts. Along with benifits that management did not take. Although management will say that they did. When you call them on their bluff and ask them to show you their paychecks since 2003 they start crawfishing and say that they can't do that. Personally if I wanted to put somebody in their place I would show them the evidence and shut them up. Obviously they have somthing to hide. Which is the fact that their was never any shared sacrifice. As far as trimming the rank and file,there are plenty of people still on the street maybe not as many as the bankrupt airlines,but that is why we took pay and benefit cuts. If their would have been shared sacrifice the rank and file would be recalled before the management personel started filling their pockets with blood money. AFTER ALL MANAGEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE SO I AM FOLLOWING THEIR LEAD. I WANT EVERYTHING BACK THAT I GAVE UP PLUS SOME. SO DON'T EVER CALL ME GREEDY.

Ya know, I acknowledged the massive paycuts in my post. Too bad your reading comprehension skills never caught up with your ad hominem attack skills.

 

[767 mechanic]

Ya know, I acknowledged the massive paycuts in my post. Too bad your reading comprehension skills never caught up with your ad hominem attack skills.

My comprehension skills are just fine and as for as my reasoning skills. I have reason to believe(fact) AA has used fear to manipulate its employees. Although telling you something like this that is fact is a waste of time since you probably have your AA underwear on.

 

[767 mechanic]

Oh I almost forgot that Boomer and Bob comprehended your post in the same way that I did. I would be willing to bet that their is nothing wrong with their comprehension skills.